The Newberry City Commission on Monday approved a construction contract for a new wastewater treatment plant.
This contract allows the city to begin the process of building the $70 million plant.
The early process for this plant began back in 2018, according to City Manager Jordan Marlowe, with this week’s meeting representing the final step needed to begin talks of construction. The meeting was used to address the budget for the plant, how the city would finance it and the construction timeline. Assistant City Manager Dallas Lee spearheaded the presentation, which received unanimous approval from commissioners..
“You guys made history tonight because there is going to be some commission up here, whether it’s 15 years from now, 20 years from now pointing back to the work you guys have done to get us to this moment,” Marlowe said.
The need for a new wastewater plant comes from the city's increased growth and state requirements. The old facility was built in the late 1970s and while it has received improvements over the years, it is still below state standards. The current system can serve 2,000 residential units, a benchmark that water utilities use to measure consumption at different types of residential facilities.
As a reference point, the Publix that opened in Newberry in 2025 is the equivalent of nine residential units.
The new plant will provide the equivalent of 4,800 residential units for the city of Newberry and Archer, which is helping fund the facility in return for 0.175 million gallons per day of waste water treatment.
Still, there are concerns about the overall cost of the plant and its impact to taxpayers. City Commissioner Rick Coleman expressed his concerns Monday evening related to its increasing cost.
“Can you help me and the public understand how a facility went from $40 million to $79 million to $71 million?” he asked.
The reason for the fluctuating cost is due to the price of materials constructions, which has changed dramatically since the idea for the plant first arose. Marlowe noted this has been an almost decade-long idea for the new plant and through years of trying to get the almost 50 program grants they have and the funding needed, the cost has gone up.
The increased cost will not affect current residents, though.
“The current residents should see no increase in their monthly bills for the construction of the plant,” Lee said.
Marlowe takes it as compliment that people are wanting to move to Newberry but also recognizes the increased population spurred the need for the plant in the first place.
“The new folks coming in need to pay for the infrastructure, the existing residents have paid their fair share for the infrastructure,” Marlowe said.
With the authorization at Monday’s meeting, the mayor and the city manager are now designated to negotiate and execute the contract. Construction will take 30 months, with the plant expected to open three years after construction begins.